When in the Distortion World, Giratina will be in its true form, the Origin Forme. The Griseous Orb found here can be used to make Giratina assume this form outside of the Distortion World, where it would normally be in its Altered Forme.

More of the 3D capabilities of the DS are utilized in the Distortion World than elsewhere in Sinnoh. It is a dark place with platforms floating at many different angles. The world disobeys the normal laws of physics, creating an effect similar to the art of M. C. Escher: time is said to not flow and spatial relations are shown to be irregular, allowing the player to walk and Surf on walls in any direction. Trees and rocks can simply grow out of the ground and then disappear. The player is able to go up a waterfall without having the move Waterfall or the Beacon Badge. This is possibly due to the fact that gravity is not normal in this world; therefore, no extra effort is needed by the Pokémon to climb the waterfall. Also, given how the player appears to be "surfing" on the waterfall's surface, it may be that the waterfall isn't being "climbed" at all. The only Pokémon known to inhabit the Distortion World is Giratina.

The world's rust-colored landmass is separated into tiny islands. Trees are spiky and incredibly tall, much like giant kelp. Beneath the floating land, there is a spinning whirlpool of spatial clouds.

Cynthia and Cyrus theorize that this world was created by Giratina as a balance for the real world.

Battling Giratina here is the only instance in the Generation IV games where the battle scene does not include a platform graphic underneath the Pokémon.

Although time is said to not flow here, the game clock counting total gameplay time will still add time spent here and events affected by time, such as Eevee's evolution to Espeon or Umbreon, still occur. In addition, the clock on the Pokétch functions normally.

After defeating Cyrus, the Journal entry for that day reads "Met Distortion World's Cyrus!".

Turnback Cave

In the anime

In the main series

In Pokémon Generations

The Distortion World appeared in The New World, where Cyrus was taken there by Giratina after attempting to control Dialga and Palkia at the Spear Pillar. As Cyrus felt that the Distortion World was like the emotionless world he had attempted to created, he decided to stay there, sending a message to Saturn to not come looking for him.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

The Distortion World in Pokémon Adventures

The Distortion World made its first appearance at the Spear Pillar when Cyrus forced Dialga and Palkia to battle each other close to the end of the Diamond & Pearl chapter, causing a black hole to appear in the sky. Cyrus incorrectly assumed it was the new world that he had intended to create by having the two dragons fight each other, but he was later corrected by Charon.

After Cyrus was defeated by Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Charon spied on the heroes as they left to go take their fallen enemies and Cyrus to the hospital. The machine he was holding was taken by Byron, who accidentally put it under the hole in sky. This caused a reaction and several black tentacles shot out from the hole and pulled Dialga, Palkia, and the unconscious Cyrus into it. A large serpentine Pokémon then glanced at the Pokédex holders before leaving and the hole closing behind it.

Later it was revealed the intended bodyguards of Platinum, Paka and Uji, were transported to another dimension by Saturn; Platinum assumed that the location they were transported to was the Distortion World and set out to find information about it so she could rescue them. The Platinum chapter heavily focused on Platinum and her ally, the International Police member Looker, going to the Battle Frontier to gather information about it. Eventually the Pokédex holders, Team GalacticCommanders, Stat Trainers, and Palmer entered the Distortion World in order to fight Charon and rescue the people trapped in there. Volkner and Flint entered the Distortion World as well, although they were only interested in battling Giratina. Eventually, everybody exited the Distortion World through a portal created by Giratina at Sunyshore City.

Origin

The Distortion World entrance over Mt. Coronet

In interviews Junichi Masuda and Takeshi Kawachimaru did for G4, it was revealed that Giratina and the Distortion World are personifications of antimatter. The Distortion World's antimatter affects the real world's matter and vice versa, though they mentioned that antimatter is more fragile than matter.